Winner for the Grossest Piece of Gym Equipment is…

When you think of a gym, what do you think of? A fitness center that allows you to work out and burn some calories, sculpt and tone your body, and release some stress. You probably picture some free weights, a row of spinning cycles, and some treadmills. What we don’t think about are all of the germs and bacteria that infest these fitness centers and just how much we are exposing ourselves to.

The Dirty Results Are In

Before we get down and dirty with the results of a study released by FitRated, let’s explain how bacteria is measured. Bacteria lives in colonies, and the larger the colony, the faster and easier it is to spread. Colony-forming units (CFU) is the measurement label used to indicate the size of the colony and the unit compared against other CFU’s to determine which one is larger, or in this case, worse. So, without further ado, here are your top three pieces of bacteria infested equipment.

Treadmill – The treadmill came out on top with 1,333,432 CFUs.

Exercise Bike – The exercise bike came in at number two on the list with 1,333,418 CFUs.

Now, most people do not understand CFUs or what the numbers actually mean, so to help give you a little bit of insight, here are the CFU results of a couple commonly used items that most people use on a regular basis.

Plastic Cafeteria Tray – These are often used in hospitals and schools as well as cooperate cafeterias around the world. These trays came in with 33,800 CFUs.

Toilet Seat – The toilet seat. You might think that these would rank extremely high on the grossness scale, right? Wrong! They come in with only 3,200 CFUs.

The Faucet – Most people think that the water faucet is cleaner than the toilet seat by a long shot, but think again! The water faucet comes in with 18,000 CFUs.

Bacteria thrives in damp, warm, and humid conditions, and most gyms and fitness centers meet the optimal conditions for bacteria growth. When you are working out and exercising, you are sweating. When you sweat, you are creating little drops of bacteria nirvana that can cause these bacterial colonies to rapidly grow.

How To Minimize Your Exposure

Most of us do not have the money, or room in our homes, to purchase all of the gym equipment that is available to us at our local gym. So how can we minimize our exposure while still being able to take advantage of the benefits of having a gym membership?

Disinfect The Equipment – Most gyms will try to clean and disinfect the equipment as often as possible, but during peak times, it is not always going to be possible. Bringing along your own cleaning sprays or wipes to quickly clean off equipment because you want to use it can help dramatically cut down on the amount of CFUs you are exposed to.

Shower After Working Out– Make sure you shower properly after working out. Use an anti-bacterial body wash or soap and make sure to wash your hair.

Avoid Touching Sensitive Areas – Avoid touching your eyes and mouth once you step out of the locker room. This can help make it harder for the bacteria to actually enter your body.

Never Go Barefoot – Never, ever, go barefoot in a gym, even in the showers or locker room. Bring a pair of flip-flops with you to hit the showers in, and when you are done, use something like Clear Gear Sports Spray to clean your flip-flops.

Clean Your Gym Bag – Most of us have a duffle bag we put our gym clothes into; the problem is, we do not clear the bags once we get back home. When you empty your duffle bag, you can use a light bleach solution to clean the inside of the bag out, or you can you use disinfecting sprays.

The gym is considered a haven for many people. They use it to lose weight, get healthy, and relieve anxiety. While most gyms and fitness centers try to disinfect and clean the machines often, it is not a perfect system. By educating yourself and using the right products, you can keep your gym experience fun, exciting, and healthy. For all of your disinfectant needs, Clear Gear Sports Spray is the spray for the job.